Center For Mennonite Brethren Studies

Genealogical researchers make up perhaps the largest single group of patrons at the Center for MB Studies. Given the high demand for such resources, the Center makes a special effort to meet the needs of persons researching their family histories.

The Center's genealogical holdings are strongest for families of "Low German" Mennonite background who trace their lines back to Poland and South Russia. We have limited resources for Swiss/South German ("Pennsylvania Dutch") Mennonite genealogical research, a few of which are listed below.

The following is a partial list of the kinds of genealogical research materials that may be found in the Center:

  • The GRANDMA database, a project of the California Mennonite Historical Society, is available for public use in the Center. This database, created with the Brother's Keeper genealogy program, currently contains over 401,000 names of persons with Low German Mennonite ancestry.
  • Published family histories
  • Genealogical periodicals:
    • Mennonite Family History
    • Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage
    • Journal of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia
  • Obituaries in Mennonite periodicals. The following partial list includes only those periodicals with indexes to obituaries:
    • Christian Leader (U.S. Mennonite Brethren, 1937-present)
    • Christian Witness (Krimmer Mennonite Brethren, 1947-1960)
    • Christlicher Bundesbote (General Conference Mennonite, 1882-1947)
    • Mennonite Weekly Review (Inter-Mennonite, 1923-present)
    • Mennonitische Rundschau (Inter-Mennonite, Canadian Mennonite Brethren, 1880-present)
    • Der Wahrheitsfreund (Krimmer Mennonite Brethren, 1915-1947)
    • Zionsbote (Mennonite Brethren, 1890-1964)
    • Passenger lists for Mennonites migrating from Russia to North America, 1875-1904.
    • Microfilmed membership records for Prussian Mennonite churches. These include data on births, deaths, baptisms and marriages for the following congregations:
      • Danzig, 1665-1943
      • Deutsch-Wymyschle, ?-? (as transcribed by the Mennonite Brethren Church in Holmfield, Man.)
      • Fuerstenwerder, 1800-1943
      • Heinrichsdorf, 1858
      • Heubuden, 1773-1900
      • Koenigsberg, 1789-1897
      • Ladekopp, 1775-1829
      • Markushof, 1776-1911
      • Montau, 1782-1874
      • Orlofferfelde, 1800-1899
      • Przechowko, 1691-1871
      • Rosenort, 1857-1942
      • Thiensdorf, 1792-1807
      • Tiegenhagen, 1782-1841
      • Tragheimerweide, 1776-1862
    • Membership records for North American Mennonite Brethren congregations. There are too many to list here (about 200), but records for most congregations established before 1975 are available. Most of these are on microfilm, but original records for some West Coast congregations are available.
    • Original records from Mennonite churches, colonies and villages in Russia remain hard to find, but we do have a few significant items:
      • An English translation of the 1835 Molotschna Colony census. An index of the census is available on the World Wide Web.
      • Membership records for the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church in the Molotschna Colony, 1842-1874.
      • Benjamin H. Unruh's book, Die niederlaendish-niederdeutschen Hintergruende der mennonitischen Ostwanderungen im 16., 18. und 19. Jahrhundert (1955), which provides information on Mennonite migrations from Prussia to South Russia.